ATLANTA — Alabama pass rushing phenom Will Anderson Jr. insisted Oct. 8 has not been circled on the football schedule.
“We approach every game the same,” Anderson said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “Every game is a national championship game.”
Anderson might not have circled it, but you can sure bet Texas A&M sophomore right offensive tackle Reuben Fatheree will.
That’s when Texas A&M and Alabama square off in what is arguably — after a nasty offseason — the single most anticipated football game in the nation.
That’s also when Fatheree can introduce himself to Anderson.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Will Anderson led the nation in sacks in 2022 and helped lead the Tide to another SEC Championship.
Apparently, Anderson has no clue who Fatheree is. Asked if he knew Fatheree, Anderson was perplexed.
“Reuben Fatheree? No. I have no idea,” Anderson said. “Never heard of him.”
To be fair, offensive linemen, as a rule, live in obscurity. Also, players often know opponents by jersey number rather than by name.
Further, a player of Anderson’s caliber wouldn’t typically face the same individual opponent on every snap.
“They move me around a lot,” Anderson said of Alabama’s defensive scheme. “If you go back and watch games I play anything from a 3-technique, 4 High, 5, 6, 7-High. All those things right there.
“During the game plan, wherever they see me best fit at, that’s where they put me at.”
That’s why Anderson should know who Fatheree is.
Anderson led the nation in 2021 with 17.5 sacks last season. He could be the first selection in the 2023 NFL draft. He legitimately could become the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy since Michigan’s Charles Woodson 25 years ago.
By comparison, Fatheree was making just his third career start when A&M defeated Alabama 41-38 last season.
So when A&M was attempting to rally from a 38-31 deficit in the final five minutes, it made sense for Anderson to frequently line up opposite Fatheree.
Fatheree won. A&M did, too.
On a six-play drive for a game-tying touchdown, Fatheree faced Anderson four times. The Aggies got three first downs and a touchdown.
On the game-tying 25-yard touchdown pass to Ainias Smith, Fatheree cut off Anderson’s speed rush and then stonewalled Anderson when he tried to bull rush.
On an eight-play drive for Seth Small’s game-winning field goal, Fatheree faced Anderson four times.
The results:
• A 17-yard pass to Isaiah Spiller on second-and-15.
• An 11-yard Zach Calzada scramble on first-and-10.
• A three-yard Spiller run on first and 10.
• A 15-yard interference penalty on a pass to Jalen Wydermyer.
That was just two series.
A&M and Fatheree kept Anderson in check throughout that game.
Anderson was held to one solo tackle and five assisted stops in that game. He did not get a tackle for loss.
That was just one of two games last season in which Anderson was not credited with a tackle for
Jamie Maury, TexAgs
Reuben Fatheree earned Freshman All-America honors from FWAA and The Athletic.
loss. The other was against Georgia in the National Championship game.
Of course, past performance does not guarantee future results.
Maybe Anderson had a bad game against A&M last season. Maybe Fatheree was a big reason why.
Anderson may be even better in 2022, but Fatheree should be improved with a full year of collegiate experience behind him.
Maybe Anderson will be more motivated — as if playing in the final minutes of a tough game with the outcome at stake isn’t enough.
But Anderson hinted the nasty offseason exchanges of Alabama coach Nick Saban accusing A&M’s Jimbo Fisher of paying recruits and Fisher calling Saban a narcissist might add fuel to the competitive fire.
“When we play Texas A&M, everything will be addressed then,” Anderson said.
Sounds like a game on the schedule that should be circled.
